Blackbaud SIS integration with Canvas LMS?

Laura Rinaldi

We currently have Blackbaud SIS and LMS systems, and we are looking at either adding on the Google Course Kit integration or switching to Canvas LMS and integrating via OneRoster.  Does anyone have experience with these and could give me some advice on how well the OneRoster integration works?    Some things to consider as we evaluate our options?


Thanks.

Susan Ott

I'd like to hear about this as well. We are struggling with our teachers on utilizing the LMS. Many are stuck on using Google classroom but that leaves parents out of the loop. With the possibility of starting next school year remotely (oh gosh I hope not), we also need to evaluate our options. 

Elizabeth Perron

Moved this forum post from to the LTI/One Roster thread in hopes of getting more product specific eyes & replies...

Boyd Reilly

Laura:


We are in the process of moving to Canvas as our LMS.  When I talked to the Canvas team last week and inquired about using OneRoster I was told it was better off to wait until next year before going that direction.  I don't have the deep reasoning behind that, but I think the general thought is that it could be a move that isn't quite 100% ready for prime time and if you did use it there might be some headaches that come along with it.


Thanks.


Boyd

Laura Rinaldi

Thanks, Boyd. This confirms a gut feeling I have about this integration. I am curious…will you still move forward with this? Or will you backtrack for now and rely on the API integration that Blackbaud LMS has?

Thanks.
Laura



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Boyd Reilly

Laura:


I'm using the BB API and wrote a program to do the transfers.  Canvas has seen it and gave its blessing so I will use it for this school year.  If all goes well I have every intention of using the OneRoster for next year.


Thanks.


Boyd

Laura Rinaldi

WOW! That’s impressive! You could make some money on that….





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Candace Chesler

Boyd - you should offer a workshop at the K-12 Conference to share your integration success and explain what benefits Canvas brings. 

Would love to know more.

Laura Rinaldi

That is a really great idea! I would really love to learn more.


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Traci Holinger

Hello Laura - we signed on with Canvas over 6 years ago and we really love all the additional features it offers... and now we are taking the plung to implement the BB OneRoster with Canvas.  They have mapped our SIS IDs and we will pull sections and enrollments over next week for testing.  What i truly appreciate is the way BB designed the export to ensure all year-long courses will be treated as semester-long in Canvas (so the gradebook can start fresh at semester time). I am hopeful that this solution will save me hours of refreshes over the year.

Laura Rinaldi

I am so interested to hear how this goes, Traci!  I have actually heard through these discussion groups that this OneRoster integration is not that reliable yet...I hope you have a different experience!

https://community.blackbaud.com/forums/viewtopic/569/50835#p197473&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=community.blackbaud.com&utm_medium=email

Laura Rinaldi

As we get more into this, we realize we are not crazy about either (1) keeping Blackbaud as LMS or (2) using Google Classroom as LMS and double entering grades to feed Blackbaud as well as building an administrative layer workaround in GC.  Traci - please keep me posted on your integration efforts!  We are having Canvas demo next week.  Also, Boyd - are you willing to rent us your API's for this year?  We would also prefer to use the OneRoster integration, but we are scared to move to something when we are just not sure it will be reliable enough.  


Thanks in advance for your thoughts and keeping me posted!!

Laura


 

Laura Rinaldi

Hi, Traci!  Thanks so much for your message.  I tried emailing you directly, but you are either super busy (likely) or I have the wrong email address.  I would REALLY LOVE to take you up on your offer to chat about this integration.  We are looking to make this decision almost yesterday so we can get going on implementing and training for the fall...I would just love to make sure i understand your experience so far so i know what i am getting us into!  Thanks so much in advance for your time.


Laura


 

Traci Holinger

Hi Laura - I'm moving our conversation to a more private avenue so
I can provide you my email and cell number.  My email
is tholinger@regisjesuit.com (however,
we are in the middle to transitioning from Barracuda to Microsoft
filtering --- so receiving new emails are getting hung up. 
You can text me at 303.906.8820 and we can arrange a time as
well.  BTW - we finished our testing and will be proceeding
with the integration for the fall. – Traci

 

 

Traci Holinger,
bCRE/EE/ON

Data and Software
Administrator

Regis Jesuit High
School

tholinger@regisjesuit.com

303.269.8006

 

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www.regisjesuit.com

 

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Angie Addison

Hi all, we have a number of schools live with Canvas (as well as several other providers) at this point for roster sync with no known issues, so I would be interested to hear what the concerns about reliability are so I can address them. You can either post here or if anyone wants to reach out directly - angela.addison@blackbaud.com. Since Canvas has paused their development on the grade pass back I'm wondering if Boyd Reilly‍ you did something custom for that as well or just the roster sync? Thanks!

Laura Rinaldi

This is good news, Angie...do you know if they are doing the roster sync with the Blackbaud SIS and LMS, or just the SIS?  We would like to just use the SIS to sync directly with Canvas.  That is our only concern at this point.  I would love to speak to someone who only has the SIS syncing with Canvas LMS.  THANK YOU!!!!

Angie Addison

Laura Rinaldi I'm not sure what your envisioning when you say only SIS, can you clarify what your expectations are there? Thanks!

Laura Rinaldi

Sure..I mean keep the Blackbaud SIS system, but drop the Blackbaud LMS piece. We would have Canvas LMS in place of the Blackbaud LMS piece. We would want the Canvas LMS to integrate via OneRoster with our Blackbaud SIS system. Is that an option?
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Laura Rinaldi

Angie Addison‍, you can email me directly if that works better for you.  I have reached out to our contact at Blackbaud to confirm (it is my understanding that this will work, but want to confirm) but have not heard back in a couple of days.  Any information you have for me would be GREATLY appreciated!!  


Thanks.

Laura 
lrinaldi@montroseschool.org

 

Angie Addison

Hi Laura Rinaldi‍ , will do.

JT Amirault

Angie Addison‍, Would you please elaborate on your comment "Since Canvas has paused their development on the grade pass back..."?


Thanks, JT
jt@burrburton.org

 

Angie Addison

Hi ‍ JT Amirault‍ sure thing - There are 2 parts of the OneRoster API - the roster sync which pulls your roster data over. Canvas is live with this, you can contact your customer success rep there to get into their implementation stream. Then there is the grade pass back which is a separate API for sending assignments and grades back to us. This piece Canvas has not completed development on yet, our last status was they are not actively working on it and aren't sure when they will be able to resume progress on that.

Stacey Vega

Any new updates on grade passback?

Stephen Ibach

Looking for an update here. This sync with grade pass back was promised when we signed on with Blackbaud. Please pressure Canvas to get it up and working. 

Angie Addison

Hi there, I have periodic check ins with Canvas and most recent in September was that they hope to be able to resume their efforts soon but we've heard that periodically over the last year so, grain of salt. As I'm sure you can understand, our ability to affect the impacts of restructuring, shift in strategy and resource allocation in another company is tough. We are code complete on our side and certified so ready to go when they are. I think the pressure probably if it comes direct from their customers would get more attention. If they have a community or discussion forum that you can repeat your message here on, that might help.

David Heup

Hi Angie,

We are having problems with Canvas & Blackbaud talking to each other.

• The students are created, but they do not have any passwords.
• The observers' (i.e. parents) accounts are not created
• Single Sign-On seems to be impossible for them to do.

Do you know of any solutions?

Thanks.